What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? The Tennessee Valley Authority found out in 1936, when they tried to persuade the Randolph family to vacate their Campbell County farm. The irresistible force was the rising water impounded by Norris Lake; the immovable object was Mattie Randolph, the woman of the house. The resulting report would be a fantastic primary source to use in the classroom.

Although the exasperated author of the report claimed that “neither [Mrs. Randolph] nor any of her family have any idea as to the meaning of the TVA,” when you read the document you can’t help but wonder who was misunderstanding whom.